[Ironfox]

I have a friend who is convinced his problem is "genetic" and "can only be treated with meds and specialized therapy". He has anxiety disorder and panic attacks. He can't live without his pill, because everytime he doesn't take it he begins to panic that he'll have a breakdown and instantly takes one. He says "It's like telling someone who has diabetes to control his own problem without pills". He has been with psychologist and a Psychiatrist for 2 years now, he has just switched Psychiatrist and he gave him a new therapy with 3 or more pills.

Personally I think he's wrong and getting dependant on pills. He was completely normal, social, fun and outgoing up until 18 years old when all started, he's now 22.

Thoughts? People "born" with problems and deficiency are really only be able to get better with pills?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Ironfox

I have a friend who is convinced his problem is "genetic" and "can only be treated with meds and specialized therapy". He has anxiety disorder and panic attacks. He can't live without his pill, because everytime he doesn't take it he begins to panic that he'll have a breakdown and instantly takes one. He says "It's like telling someone who has diabetes to control his own problem without pills". He has been with psychologist and a Psychiatrist for 2 years now, he has just switched Psychiatrist and he gave him a new therapy with 3 or more pills.

Personally I think he's wrong and getting dependant on pills. He was completely normal, social, fun and outgoing up until 18 years old when all started, he's now 22.

Thoughts? People "born" with problems and deficiency are really only be able to get better with pills?

sounds strange but yes people with mental disorders have their own things that work for them, just like with physical health problems one person may respond to meds while another may require surgery while another may require physical therapy and another may require a mix of all of the above.

people with mental disorders are individuals not a replication of each other so of course what works for one may not work for others.

some people with mental disorders have the best treatment with medications and others with talk therapy and others with DBT,CBT and other techniques.

no one form of treatment works for all. my suggestion is unless you are this persons treatment provider leave the diagnosing of whether this person needs the meds or not up to them and their treatment provider. thats the way it works here in America. just be that persons friend not try to become their caretaker, and treatment provider. (unless of course you want to push this friend into having to choose you or his treatment providers in which case that person may probably choose their treatment provider simply because they may want to become healthier and have healthy relationships that dont infringe on their health issues and treatment options. and you may lose a friend in the process)

[pegasus]

I would say that the professionals know what they are doing, if they feel that your friend needs the medications then that is what that person needs. Mental health issues are misunderstood by many people. Anxiety can be very disabling. If you broke your leg, you would go and get it put in a cast and get treatment for it, it's the same for mental health issues, treatment is required. Some people need medications and psychotherapy, and if your friend needs that and it works then all good!

[doyoutrustme]

Have you ever had a panic a attack? You have no idea how crippling they are. medication is wonderful paired with psychotherapy. Obviously it should not be abused but it doesn't sound like that's what you're complaining about.

[venusss]

Some people believe in chemical imbalance, others don't.

Some feel they are helped by meds and are, some feel they are helped, but in fact meds only mask the fact their lifes suck and it stuns their coping skills.

So it depends.

Personally I think he's wrong and getting dependant on pills. He was completely normal, social, fun and outgoing up until 18 years old when all started, he's now 22.

I knew people like that. Had rougher teenage years/midlife crisis. Went to shrink. Got pills. Pills had some effect, but not all of it desirable. Gotten more pills. Then more. As their coctails bloated, their personalities dimminished. I think some just gotten sucked in the system and we just bit troubled to begin with and the system did not help at all.

[IrisBloom]

Be patient with your friend. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right combo of meds and therapy that works best.

It is possible to be genetically disposed to MI. It is also possible to have MI for no apparent reason. No one who is not a doctor can say what causes it or what the best course of treatment is. It seems that some people who have dealt with MI have become experts on it. I am no expert. I only know what has worked for me. I would not be here if not for certain medications.

[Magora]

His medications may be the reason for his new behavior, but it may also be that his new behavior comes from his condition. Sometimes a person acts more outgoing to hide their stresses. I've known people who partied just to forget or hide their problems. This is, however, not very sustainable. Eventually it gets too expensive and unhealthy.
One might argue that meds and treatment also get too expensive and/or unhealthy, but there are at least assistance programs for these.

I would interpret that your friend saw his lifestyle, whatever it was, as taking a toll.
Trying to push him in a direction away from whatever is making him feel more comfortable now will likely cause a backlash.

I don't disagree with what anyone who posted before me has said.

I wanted to add that your friend may be somewhat affected by fear of having a panic attack on top of the panic attacks. That complicates things.

The person who said that panic attacks are scary has a really good point.

Let's say that you had an experience where you went hiking and got lost in the forest for 3 days with no food or water and it rained and you were cold and lost and scared.

Let's say that for some reason, that happened to you several times and you never knew when it might suddenly pop up. You might be on your way to have dinner with friends then suddenly you find yourself lost in that forest again.

In fact, there would never be a day in your life where you could be sure that you would get through the day without ending up in the forest.

(I gave that example as example of the kind of anxiety that recurring panic attacks usually cause. The person becomes really scared at the idea of having another attack.)

Having medication that can prevent a panic attack or make it much less severe is helpful.

It's really good that your friend is seeing a therapist, too. The therapist can help him with the fear of the panic attacks. In time, he may be open to the idea of trying to find out if he can control his anxiety and control his panic attacks with non-drug methods.

I'd also like to say that if your friend did not take medication and just "suffered through" the panic attacks, and they just kept on happening, that they would cause damaging changes to his autonomic nervous system. He would be very worn down and susceptible to physical illnesses, too.

So avoiding the repeated panic attacks is not just a matter of avoiding unpleasant feelings.

People "born" with problems and deficiency are really only be able to get better with pills?

Sometimes, yes.

Very often people can get better, but they may need to take the pills while they are learning other ways to deal with their problem.

This can be eating a really good diet, getting enough sleep, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, taking yoga classes, learning breathing exercises, doing meditation, going for regular walks, and a whole lot of other healthy habits and skills. People usually end up trying lots of things to find what works for them.

It takes hard work to learn to cope with panic attacks or any other mental health problem.

Your friend may be right that he can only be treated with meds, or he may be wrong. The correct answer may even change with time.

You can't talk him out of what he thinks, though, partly because his belief is probably strongly influenced by the fear of the panic attacks that I mentioned earlier.

[SillyKitty]

It doesn't sound like he's getting better just with meds as he's going to therapy as well. I have anxiety and panic disorders, and they can be absolute hell. I couldn't even participate on this board for a few days because everything triggered me. Then thinking about getting on here started triggering me. And yes, I took a pill. I also take a maintenance anxiety pill. A lot of problems start as young adults, or before, but get diagnosed in young adulthood. The best thing you can do, as others have said, is let his treatment team be his treatment team, and you be his friend.

[iwonderaboutstuff]

Originally Posted by Ironfox

Thoughts? People "born" with problems and deficiency are really only be able to get better with pills?

Cognitive behavior therapy can help reduce need for meds. While I appreciate meds for what they can do - and recognize a real need for some - I fear meds are often a go to solution. I don't believe a person suffering from anxiety can "only" get better with pills.

Med dependency depends on type of med. If he's taking a regularly scheduled dose because he tried to go without, then freaks so takes it, that's one thing. If he's taking them symptomatically, that's different and I believe that ups the odds of med abuse.

[IrisBloom]

Hi, Iwonder

You are right that some issues can be dealt with without meds. Some do reach for meds when there are other, less easy ways to cope.

Learning the mechanics of a panic attack years ago helped me to understand what is going on and that it will pass soon and consciously panicking will only make it worse. It does not keep me from having them, but when I do I recognize it for what it is and try to calm myself. This is only an example of what worked for me. There are people who need the meds to function and there is nothing wrong with that.